Tread Carefully Young Crouch
by CoyoteWolf
Summary: Barty Crouch,Jr & his friend Severus Snape(a 14 year-old potions expert)have been doing more than schoolwork for the past year. It's rather dangerous when the dark Lord becomes interested.
1. Antonin Dolohov

Tread carefully Young Crouch

Chapter 1

*Antonin Dolohov*

Disclaimer: I don't own any H.P. characters or **_anything_** else. 

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Antonin Dolohov sat quietly in the locked room, right in the center of the Ministry's headquarters. He, like so many other servants for the new Dark Lord, tried something stupid to prove himself worthy to him.

He and two other Death Eaters had tried to kill a very important Ministry official. But the second they stepped in some sort of alarm was set off. The other two scattered, leaving him alone and the next thing he knew he was hit by the stunning spell.

Now he was in literally in hell. The Ministry was probably going to sentence him to Azkaban for life. Shuddering at the thought, he lay down on the cold, hard floor and drifted off to a dreamless sleep.

Around an hour later he was awakened by the sound of the door clicking and creaking open. He slowly sat up as a boy around twelve entered the room. Muggle sunglasses hid his eyes, and his straw-colored hair was spiked into five parts so that it was coming of his head like the spikes on the back of an porcupine. 

"I'll tell you one thing the security in this place S-U-C-K-S," the boy said to no one in particular. As he crossed the room he continued to mutter, "I mean come on a crazy man with an ax could come strolling in hear and no one would notice." Then before Antonin could say anything the kid pulled off a backpack and took out a metal object.

"Hold on! Wait one minute!" exclaimed Antonin. "Who are you? What is that in your hand? And what the hell is an ax?"

The boy took one look at the thing in his hand and turned to Antonin, laughing, "I should have guessed. You're a Death Eater and most of them are pure-bloods. This is a screwdriver, a muggle thing. An ax is a thing crazy people use to kill someone or non-magical folk use to cut wood. And my name is something you won't learn." 

"Oh, I see what's going on here. Old Crouch is getting too lazy to sentence his prisoners so he figured he'd start training children to take his place," said Antonin.

"Uh-huh…well, sir, you're not even close," Barty responded absentmindedly, staring at the ceiling. He crossed the room again, appearing to be looking for something. Continued to walk around the room, he was directly under a vent in the ceiling.

"What are you doing?" Antonin asked, annoyed.

Ignoring Antonin Barty went back over to his backpack, pulled out a long piece of rope, and returned to his spot under the vent. Biting his lip, he threw one end of the rope up and through one of the bars in the vent. As carefully as he could he pushed the one side he was holding up and made the two ends equal with each other. After putting the screwdriver in his mouth he began to climb the rope. When he reached the top he held onto the rope with one hand and pulled out the screwdriver with the other then began to unscrew a few bolts. 

In seconds Barty had the vent off and dropped down to the floor. With his face full of triumph he said, "Sorry that took so long, Mr.-"

"Dolohov. _Antonin_ Dolohov," Antonin told Barty in complete shock.

"Good luck, Mr. Dolohov," Barty said, embarrassed as he picked up his backpack and pulled something out. "Umm, here take this and here's your wand." He handed Antonin a sack of galleons along with his wand that had been confiscated by the Ministry only hours ago.

"What's the money for?" inquired Antonin.

"Knight Bus fee," answered Barty.

"But won't the Ministry be _after_ me?"

"They might have been if they got your name, but they didn't."

Antonin looked up at the vent, "Where on Earth did you learn-" he started but when he turned around he was shocked to find that that Barty was gone.

"Might as well get climbing," he decided and he started to climb the rope and crawl through the small vent. _Now all I have to is figure out a way to tell the master that I was rescued by a kid I've never seen._

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"What do you mean a mere child got by the Ministry's wards, rescued you, and then just _disappeared_?" hissed Voldemort, advancing on Antonin. He pulled out his wand and yelled "Crucio!" He left the curse on the Death Eater for a few seconds before lifting it. "Care for another go?"

Antonin scrambled forward and grabbed onto the hem of his master's robes, "Please, my lord, it's the truth," he pleaded. 

Voldemort kicked him aside and sneered, "Get off of me, Dolohov."

A Death Eater who couldn't have been older than fourteen stepped forward and out of the circle cautiously, not wanting the same treatment as Antonin, "It's true, my lord. A child around the age of twelve has rescued many Death Eaters from Aurors, but this is the first time that he has ever snuck someone out of the Ministry's main base."

"Then why haven't I been informed?" asked Voldemort.

"Well it sounds pretty embarrassing. I mean having to be rescued by one kid," the Death Eater responded.

"Is it as embarrassing as this Lestrange?" inquired Voldemort. "Crucio!" As the Death Eater fell to the ground screaming and twitching Voldemort turned to Antonin, "Did you think to get his name?"

Antonin bit his lip as he shook his head. "No, master. He was smart enough not to give it to me." 

Voldemort cursed something under his breath. "We will worry about this another time." He turned to the three youngest Death Eaters, "Bella, Rabastan, Rodolphus, I want you all in the meantime to continue your search for promising Death Eaters. Try to focus on those that are young."

"Yes, my lord," they said in unison, bowing slightly.   

*********

"Going out, mum!" Barty called as he swung his backpack over his shoulder. The sun was shinning brightly considering that it was early in the morning.

"Okay, but eat something first!" his mother responded 

"Alright, mum! Hey, Winky, get in here!" he called the house-elf.

""Yes, Master Barty?" the female house-elf asked, appearing right in front of him. Her ears were hanging in her face and she smiled up at him nervously.  

"Something to eat. And can you hurry? I'm in a rush," Barty said in a bored voice. 

"Right aways, sir," Winky squeaked, disappearing with a _pop!_ Seconds later she returned with two pieces of toast on a plate. "Here it is, sir."

"Umm…thanks, Winky," Barty said, unsurely. He grabbed the toast and fled out the Manor's front door. 

Summer time…

It was Barty's favorite time of the year. Not because there was no school; he loved to be at school and to show off how intelligent he was. It was because there was lots of time for him to run around and be-well be him. It was only the middle of July and Barty found that he was spending most of his time doing things that wizards his age didn't. 

For one he loved to skateboard and rollerblade. They were, as his father put it, "unfit for upcoming wizard children" and fit more for "useless squibs and muggle children". Barty rolled his eyes at the thought of his father. 

His father was an entire subject that he would rather avoid on such a nice day. Barty Crouch, Sr was always too busy to say hello or better yet even goodbye to his son. His schedule was always work, work, and then work' nothing more and nothing less. 

Barty's walking slowly decreased until he stopped completely, brows furrowed. "Stupid father," he mumbled. 

"Can you believe him?" demanded a voice from across the road. Barty's brows returned to normal as he looked to where the shouting was coming from. Then he saw them: Bellatrix Black, Rodolphus Lestrange, and his older but just as wild brother, Rabastan Lestrange. 

Just his luck. He _had_ to run into the only three people he hated _more_ that the merry Marauders. Immediately after he decided to just leave them alone Rodolphus's voice called, "Hey! Look, Bella! It's the goodie-goodie from Ravenclaw!" Barty gritted his teeth as he turned to face them again.

"Shouldn't you all be off drinking the blood of muggles?" Barty spat at the Slytherins. 

"Aww. Were sorry, _Barty_," Bellatrix said in a mock voice. "Are we bothering the poor baby?" 

Trying to end the fight before it got physical, Barty turned to leave but he was pushed to the ground from behind. He groaned to himself before getting to his feet and secretly grabbing a hold of his blue necklace. 

In a flash he dashed past them and when he stopped running he was miles away from where Bellatrix and the Lestrange brothers stood. The thought of their stunned faces brought a smile to Barty's determined face and he couldn't help but chuckle to himself. Without thinking the Crouch heir clutched his medallion tight in his hand.  

The medallion that wasn't at all ordinary. Just to make it so that it could contain s much power took him three years. The medallion itself was a symbol of freedom for both sides of the war that was only beginning. A simple green dragon charm on a silver chain that had the power to help him to be faster than the speed of light was how he had managed to help many Death Eaters escape Azkaban and death. With his ability he found that he could train himself to specialize in being stealth, sneaky, and athletic. Whatever the situation was he was sure to escape it without a scratch whether he was doing something illegal or just playing around. 

Speaking of illegal things…Barty let out a sigh of frustration. He had to get something for Severus Snape and drop it off at his house. Barty got into a running position before taking off. He closed his eyes for a moment to relax. He couldn't help but love the feeling of the wind in his face. Well now he was going to get a bit of exercise and then he was going to visit Diagon Ally.

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A/N: I know that not many people like Crouch as they tend to over look him. But I sincerely hope that at least a few people will read and at least sorta like this fic. 

~Moony~

     


	2. Potions

Tread carefully Young Crouch

Chapter 2

*Potions*

**Response to Reviews:**

Marauder1prongs: I hope to see you this weekend and thanks for the review. 

A/N: I feel that I must warn you. This **_IS_** a fic about the Death Eaters and it may be a dark story though I'm not sure to what extent.  

******

Previous Chapter:_ Speaking of illegal things…Barty let out a sigh of frustration. He had to get something for Severus Snape and drop it off at his house. Barty got into a running position before taking off. He closed his eyes for a moment to relax. He couldn't help but love the feeling of the wind in his face. Well now he was going to get a bit of exercise and then he was going to visit Diagon Ally._

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Severus Snape sat in a one of his father's old labs, completely engulfed in perfecting the potion that he was attempting to brew. The Dreamless Sleep Potion was one of the easiest potions to make in Severus's opinion, but he was bored and because he was still awaiting Barty's (or B.C's) arrival he didn't have the ingredients he needed to make anything else that wasn't first year material. Besides that complication Severus couldn't think of any other potion that would come in handy more often for him than the Dreamless Sleep Potion.

_Pop!_ Severus turned aroundand saw the family house-elf standing before him. Jeremy's ears were like those of a bat's and he had a pointed nose that was narrow but not all that long. The elf's skin itself was green, very much like the color of the pillow case that he wore or his dull grass colored eyes. "Master Severus is having someone at the door for him, sir," Jeremy said, his hands were playing with part of his pillowcase. Severus wasn't stupid. He knew that the elf was afraid of the cold dungeons which so happened to be where his father's lab was.   

The Snape heir stood after he bottled the finished potion. "Thank you, Jeremy. Now return to your work," Severus said in an oily tone. The elf bowed so his long ears nearly touched the ground before disappearing with a second _pop!_

Just as Severus considered cleaning up the mess he dismissed the thought and he ran a hand through his now greasy hair. He was defiantly going to shower as soon as Barty left. Severus carefully placed the new potion in his pocket and headed out of the door and down the hall until he reached a spiral staircase. The walls on the first floor of the manor were no different from how they looked on the floor that he had just come from. 

It was covered with paintings of various members of his ancestors and but not of anyone that he could recognize without starring at the picture for hours on end. The only difference was that the bottom level had stone walls and all the others did not.

Severus placed one hand on the door and as he opened it he said, to the visitor, "You're lucky my father isn't back from his little business trip yet. I swear though, B.C if you took any longer I was going to-" Severus was cut short when he finally noticed that it wasn't Barty who was standing in the doorway but a smirking Lucius Malfoy was. 

Lost for words all Severus could do was wait for Lucius to talk. "Hello, Severus," the sixth year Slytherin said. He forced his way in and looked about a bit, though his face showed that he wasn't at all interested in the manor. 

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Severus sneered. The older boy had never been anything close to nice to him, and Severus wasn't about to start kissing up to him when he showed up unexpectedly at his house. 

"You're a rather straight forward teen, aren't you, Snape?" Lucius said in a uninterested tone.  

"You may not know me very well but I'll be _polite _and inform you that I'm not one to repeat myself so either leave or state you reason for standing in front of the doorway," Severus said smoothly as he allowed the front door to close.

"Very well, Snape. I heard from a very reliable source that you were great with potions. Is that true?" asked Lucius, almost lazily. 

Severus fought the erg to raise an eyebrow at the Malfoy. He couldn't be serious. There were probably dozens of professionals out there that Lucius could hire to make a simple potion for him and with only the snap of his fingers. There was _some _reason that Lucius would come to _him_, Severus Snape, when he knew that he wasn't going to get what he wanted very easily.

"It's true. Why?" Severus replied. 

"I need a simple potion brewed actually and I've decided to just drop by and see for myself if the rumors at school are true," Lucius said. "And if they are you wouldn't mind taking on a challenge." Severus forgot his suspicion when Lucius said the words "a challenge" and he gave Lucius his full attention to show that he was listening.     

"Do you think you can attempt to make the Draught of Peace without blowing yourself up?" asked Lucius with a sneer. 

Severus wanted to snort out loud and boast that he could make that any day but instead he pretended that this simple task interested him. "When o you need it?" 

"The next time I see you is when I'll pick it up but until then good bye, Snape." Lucius left o the front door without offering any explanation as to what he was going to _do_ with it. 

"Malfoy trouble?" joked a voice from behind. Severus recognized it easily and said, spinning around to face him, "It's dangerous for you to just come right inside without being let in first." 

"Ahhh, come on, Sev." Barty smirked as Severus flinched at the nickname. Severus wasn't surprised at his punk look that almost no one approved off. His muggle pants that he chose to wear instead of wizard robes were cut and patched up to make them look older than they were. His shirts were baggy and way to big for him. The only way he could recognize Barty was because of his crystal blue eyes that were showing from behind a pair of muggle sunglasses, his spiked, straw colored hair, and his arms (like always) were covered in too many things for Severus's liking (black leather arm bands and other creative, self-made items).    

"Please use my _full_ first name in public and while we are at the manor. How many times must I say that before it sinks in?" Severus inquired, raising an eyebrow. 

"Okay, okay," Barty said, holding his hands up for defence. "I'm sorry."

"I bet you didn't even have time to get me the ingredients I need."

Barty smiled sheepishly. Severus groaned in frustration and Barty jumped to his excuse, "I was busy! Plus it's daylight! I could easily get caught stealing at this time of day!" 

"Just make sure you get them soon. I have to make a potion for Lucius Malfoy," said Severus. 

"Severus, the potion's maker to all," Barty mused. 

"Stuff it," snapped Severus. "You can't stay here long. Father will be home any minute and you know what will happen to me if he finds out that we're anything closer than wanting to rip out each other's throats." 

"Yeah," sighed Barty. "I'll get those ingredients later, OK?" 

"Just make sure you aren't seen when you drop them off," ordered Severus lightly. 

Barty grinned as he clutched his medallion and showed it to Severus. "I won't be." With that he took off running in a blur of light and Severus knew that he was far away, most likely back at his house. 

******

It was around mid-day when Severus was told to report to his father's study by Jeremy. His only guess as to why was that his father and mother was home. He wasn't looking forward to talking with his father but with his mother…that was definitely a different story. 

Severus's relationship with his father was strictly adult-child and nothing more. The only time he was in the company of his father was when he was training or being forced to attend one of those parted where the adults showed off their children. It was like a dog show only more boring. 

As he entered the study he bowed slightly at his mother who was sitting in an expensive chair across from his father. She nodded in approval then his father spoke. "Severus, we are going to the Malfoy Manor for a little- a get together should I say? We will be meeting with our Lord there so you'd better stay out of the way and behave. I will need you ready to go within the hour." Severus waited a bit longer unit his father dismissed him. "You may leave." Nodding as he left, Severus headed to his room. 

He should have known. They were going to another show-Off-Your-Mutt and My-Family-Has-More-Influential-Power-Than-Yours party. _But why tonight?_ He needed to complete the potion before he met up with Lucius Malfoy again. If they were going to the Malfoy Manor tonight then surely he would see Lucius.                  

_"The next time I see you is when I'll pick it up…" _

"Perfect," Severus said to himself as he entered his room. His eyes fell upon his bed where a bag sat alongside a small folded piece of paper. "You're a lifesaver, B.C," Severus said though he knew that Barty was long gone. He sat down on his bed and unfolded the card. 

**_Dear Severus,_**

**_I heard about the party and wish you luck with surviving the night. Try not to get in your parents way like you did last time._**

**_See You Soon,_**

**_B.C._**            

Severus read the last three words with dread. _See you soon. _That could only mean trouble. If Severus hadn't known Barty that well he would have dismissed the words as nothing more than ink on paper but he _did_ know Barty ad it meant that he was going to stop by again soon. Soon to him was within the same day.

"Please don't get us into trouble," Severus wished aloud. 

*********

In the cold stone room of an extremely old manor, passed the shadows made by the dull glowing of the many torches that lit the narrow hallways, a dark figure knelt; hi face was completely covered by a mask and a black cloak. Before the servant stood a tall man with jet black hair; he was wearing a expensive, velvet green robe that made his crimson eyes stand out. 

"You're sure that this child is the one that we're after?" the man asked his lowly servant. 

"Yes, My lord," replied the cold voice of Lucius Malfoy. 

"And the trap has been set?"

"Yes, my lord."

"Then you may leave. I'll see you at tonight's little _gathering_," Voldemort said, an evil smile spreading across his face. 

"You are much clever, master," Lucius praised the Dark Lord. 

"That's enough, Lucius. Inform your father in the change of plans and the prepare the old room for our guest," ordered Voldemort.

"Yes, my lord," Lucius said with a bow. He got to his feet quickly before leaving the room in a rush.


End file.
